Section 33.00 Preamble The encompasses the area as illustrated on the Charter Township of Orion Zoning Map. The purpose of the shall be to promote the development of the area in accordance with the Gingellville Village Planning and Design Guidelines in such a manner that will: maintain, preserve and enhance historic resources; allow for a mixed use concept of new development that advances the creation of a Village ; arrive at a residential pattern which addresses both style and architecture appropriate for the area; and, develop a vehicular and pedestrian circulation pattern appropriate for a Village while recognizing current community and lifestyle issues. Section 33.01 Principal Uses Permitted All uses within the shall be restricted to those listed as either permitted principal uses and/or special uses in the underlying zoning district or those uses listed as approved as a separate Planned Unit Development. A. Unless otherwise zoned, commercial uses shall be limited to low intensity retail, office or professional uses similar to the Restricted Business zoning district (RB). B. Unless otherwise zoned, Big Box or intensive commercial uses shall be restricted. Maximum floor area for commercial use shall be limited and shall be consistent with the Village character (generally not greater than thirteen thousand (13,000) square feet per tenant). (amended 08.29.11) C. Unless otherwise zoned, commercial or office uses shall not extend more than five hundred thirty-five (535) feet beyond the future right-of-way of Baldwin Road. Parcel areas deeper than five hundred thirty-five (535) feet shall be reserved for residential uses. (amended 08.29.11) D. Unless otherwise zoned, multi-family, attached housing shall not extend more than one thousand (1,000) feet east or west of the future right-of-way of Baldwin Road. (amended 08.29.11) E. Mixed-Use PUD projects within the Village Center are intended to be predominately residential. Not more than fifty percent (50%) of the total floor area for a mixed PUD project shall be non-residential. However, the Township Board and Planning Commission may consider deviations from the fifty percent (50%) maximum non-residential floor area if it is determined that the project will not create excessive traffic impacts, is consistent with high quality design standards and will not adversely impact surrounding residential areas. (amended 08.29.11) F. The Schedule of Regulations for the underlying zoning district shall be applied for density, height, setback, lot size, lot width, lot coverage, floor area, etc. G. Commercial buildings shall not contain a continuous building frontage of more than two hundred fifty (250) feet without a break or separation of building. H. For large scale mixed use projects over forty (40) acres in size, at least sixty percent (60%) of the development acreage shall be reserved for single family detached residential uses. Housing for senior citizens shall be excluded from this restriction. I. Mixed use developments including residential and commercial uses are encouraged as part of a PUD. Single family residences are favored as the predominate land use in the mixed use developments and may be interspersed with a mixture of multi-family/attached housing or local business uses. Section 33.02 Design Standards In addition to complying with the design standards set forth in this section, all proposed development and construction within the Village Center shall comply with the Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines which shall be adopted by resolution of the Charter Township of Orion Board of Trustees, upon recommendation of the Orion Township Planning Commission. General Design Standards are listed as follows: Charter Township of Orion Zoning Ordinance 78 Page 33-1
A. General Standards. 1. Land uses should transition from commercial, or multiplefamily, to lower density residential uses including single family detached units to the east and west of Baldwin Road, with appropriate buffers and screening on the perimeter. 2. The Village Center developments shall promote pedestrian connection and linkage. 3. Secondary access shall be required by either parallel access roads or perpendicular access from Baldwin Road. 4. Rear yard parking or at least a significant portion of rear yard and side yard parking shall be required. 5. Pedestrian amenities such as streetscape, street furniture, benches, lighting, pavers and extensive landscaping shall be required and shall meet the standards as listed in the Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines or approved equivalent as determined by the Building Department. 6. All projects shall demonstrate quality architecture and landscaping consistent with the Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines. B. Open Space and Community Design Feature. 1. Residential Uses. An active or passive recreation/open space plan shall be submitted to Planning Commission for consideration. The plan shall demonstrate that at least fifteen percent (15%) of the gross land area is maintained for recreation/open space amenities which accurately reflect the intended demographics of the development. Rear/Side Yard Parking along with Primary and Secondary Access from Baldwin Road and Side Roadway 2. Required open space may be fulfilled in other parcels or non-contiguous areas of the overlay district subject to approval of the Planning Commission and other restrictions which will guarantee permanent open space. 3. All Non-Residential Uses. Each non-residential establishment shall contribute to the establishment or enhancement of community and public spaces by providing at least two (2) of the following: patio/seating area, pedestrian plaza with benches, window shopping walkway, outdoor playground area, outdoor sculpture, kiosk area, water feature, clock tower or other such deliberately shaped area and/or a focal feature or amenity that, in the sole discretion of the Township, is determined to adequately enhance such community and public spaces. All non-residential PUD s shall provide at least ten percent (10%) open space as required in Section 30.03. Pedestrian Amenities such as Benches Wabash Valley Manufacturing, Inc. (Model #ES42OP) Charter Township of Orion Zoning Ordinance 78 Page 33-2
4. Money in Lieu of Construction. In lieu of establishment of public space amenities, such as pedestrian plazas, window shopping walkways, outdoor play area, outdoor sculpture, kiosks, water features, clock tower, etc., the Township Planning Commission and/or Township Board may accept a sum of money equivalent to the actual cost of construction for the public space amenities. Money in lieu of construction shall only be allowed for sites where there are practical difficulties, spatial limitations or other factors which prevent on-site construction of public amenities. The amount shall be placed in escrow or other named accounts as established by the Township Board for ongoing or future construction of public space amenities within the. 5. Compliance with Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines. Money in lieu of construction for public space amenities shall be directed to projects in accordance with the Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines. Funds shall be designated for projects approved by the Planning Commission and Township Board which implement components of the Concept Plan for the Village of Gingellville (see Map 3 at end of Article) or other public space amenities within the Gingellville Village Center Overlay District. C. Site Access, Parking and Loading. Site access, parking and loading shall be controlled in the interest of public safety. Each building or group of buildings and its parking or service area, shall be subject to the following restrictions: Pedestrian Plaza as a Public Space Amenity 1. Provisions for circulation between developments on adjacent parcels shall be required through joint drives and cross-access connections. 2. Driveway placement must be such that loading and unloading activities will not hinder vehicle ingress or egress. All loading areas for non-residential uses shall be located within rear yard or side yard areas, and/or screened. 3. Access management standards shall be in accordance with Section 27.14. D. Pedestrian Pathways and Sidewalks. Vehicular access and circulation shall be planned to ensure safe pedestrian movement within the development. Pedestrian systems shall provide safe, all-weather, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing means of on-site movement and shall be an integral part of the overall site design concept. Pedestrian pathway connections to parking areas, buildings, other amenities and between on-site and perimeter pedestrian systems and safety paths shall be planned and installed wherever feasible. E. Signage. All signs permitted within the Gingellville Village Center Overlay District shall be subject to the provisions of Ordinance No. 138 unless a stricter provision is provided below. In addition to the overall intent of this section, the intent of this subsection is to ensure that signs within the shall be uniform in size, design, appearance and material. Accordingly, all signs within the shall be subject to the following requirements and standards (amended 02.21.06): 1. All signs shall be designed so as to be integral and compatible with the architecture and landscaping component of the development. Sign Design Continuity for Multi-Tenant Commercial Developments (Complementary colors, common lettering, similar location, uniform materials, size, proportion and background panel) 2. Multi-tenant commercial developments shall have signs that share common design elements. This may be accomplished through design continuity of the following: Charter Township of Orion Zoning Ordinance 78 Page 33-3
uniform color or a harmonious range of complementary colors for all signage common lettering and/or graphic style similar location of sign on the building frontage uniform construction materials uniform size and proportion uniform background panel 3. Multi-tenant developments shall require submittal of a Common or Master Signage Plan which illustrates the above listed design elements. The Common or Master Signage Plan shall be submitted in conjunction with Ordinance No. 138 Procedures and Requirements and shall include building sections / elevations as well as the location, size, scale and materials of all proposed signs. (amended 02.21.06) 4. Shielded external illumination is encouraged to reduce glare. No portion of the sign shall have a luminance greater than fifteen (15) foot candles measured at four (4) feet perpendicular to any surface. 5. It is recommended that signs with internal illumination provide a dark background with lighter colored lettering or logo. An internally lit sign with white background will generally exceed the maximum allowable luminance. 6. The light from illuminated signs shall be shielded at its source in a manner that will not shine light on adjacent properties or onto public streets or sidewalks. F. Lighting. All lighting shall conform to the requirements of Section 27.11, in order to maintain vehicle and pedestrian safety, site security, and accentuate architectural details. 1. All street and parking lot lighting shall be installed in accordance with the Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines or approved equivalents. Pedestrian Lighting Detail Antique Street Lamps Mfg. Inc. (Model # DS7K) 2. Pedestrian lighting shall be provided for pedestrian walkways, building entries and other areas where illumination is needed to permit safe pedestrian travel. G. Landscaping / Greenbelts / Buffers / Screening Elements. All landscape features of the site shall conform to the requirements detailed in the Charter Township of Orion Zoning Ordinance and the Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines, in order to ensure that the image of the Village is promoted by the organization, unification and character of the district. Parking Lot Screening Pillar Detail 1. Parking Lot Screening Along Baldwin Road. The screening of parking lots along Baldwin Road shall conform with the Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines and the pillar and fence details provided herein. The plantings to occur along the screening fence will also be in accordance with the Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines (consisting of perennials and compact shrubs along the fence). H. Architecture. Parking Lot Screening Fence Detail Charter Township of Orion Zoning Ordinance 78 Page 33-4
1. An individual building shall not exceed five thousand (5,000) square feet per tenant. Existing buildings or new buildings within the GB District shall be excluded from this requirement. General architectural standards are listed as follows: a. All buildings shall have a roof pitch of no less than four (4) feet of rise (vertical) over twelve (12) feet of run (horizontal). b. The exterior of the building shall appear to have an abundance of individual uses through the inclusion of windows and varying architectural treatments, while the interior may consist of one individual use. Large expanses of blank walls are to be avoided. c. Architectural interest shall be provided through the use of repetitious patterns of color, texture and material modules, at least one of which shall repeat horizontally. Each module should repeat at intervals of no more than fifty (50) feet. d. Building facades greater than one hundred (100) feet in length shall incorporate recesses, projections and or windows along at least twenty percent (20%) of the length of the facade. Varying roof lines, projections/recesses etc. are encouraged to enhance Village characteristics. Windows, awnings, and arcades must total at least sixty percent (60%) of a facade length abutting a public street. e. Primary building entrances shall be clearly defined and recessed, or framed by a sheltering element such as an awning, arcade or portico in order to provide shelter from the summer sun and winter weather. I. Building Materials. 1. Materials shall blend with those existing on adjacent properties. 2. One dominant material shall be selected, with a preference towards masonry and stone. J. Residential Architecture. 1. Lots having sufficient width shall require side entrance garages. 2. Front facing garages shall extend no more than six (6) feet past front living area. 3. Front porches are required for all single family residences. Porches shall be a minimum size of eight (8) feet in width and six (6) feet in depth. 4. At least fifty percent (50%) of the front elevation of a house, excluding garage door, shall be masonry material such as brick, stone, or cementitious siding. Cultured stone shall be acceptable. K. Fences. 1. The finished side of all fences shall face the common property line boundary or the public right-of-way. 2. Only the following fence materials shall be allowed: wood (or vinyl closely resembling wood) wrought iron (or aluminum closely resembling wrought iron) stone or brick. All other fence materials, including chain link and vinyl-clad chain link are prohibited unless placed in side or rear yards or screened from public view by landscaping or other means. L. Building Roofs. 1. In instances where roof vents, roof-mounted mechanical equipment, pipes, etc., can be viewed from ground level, they shall be grouped together, painted to match roof color to reduce their appearance, and screened from view. Charter Township of Orion Zoning Ordinance 78 Page 33-5
2. There shall be variations in roof lines to reduce the massive scale of the structure and add visual interest. Single roof planes covering more than three thousand (3,000) square feet must be broken up by dormers, cross-ridges, minor roofs, chimneys or similar features. M. Screening of Exterior Electrical Equipment and Transformers. 1. Transformers that may be visible from any primary visual exposure area shall be screened with either plantings or a durable non combustible enclosure which are unified and harmonious with the overall architectural theme. 2. Exterior-mounted electrical equipment shall be mounted on the interior of a building wherever possible, or shall be located where it is substantially screened form public view. Such equipment shall never be located on the street side or primary exposure side of any building. Section 33.03 Modification of Standards A. The Planning Commission shall have the authority to waive or modify the standards of Section 33.01 or 33.02 upon consideration of the following: 1. The standards of this section would prevent reasonable use of the site. 2. Existing site design including architecture, parking, driveways, etc. are placed in a manner which makes application of standards impractical. 3. Limited lot area and the arrangement of existing features provide inadequate space to accommodate design requirements. 4. Other design constraints and considerations as defined by the Planning Commission. 5. The requirements of Sections 33.01 and 33.02 may be modified by way of a Planned Unit Development approved in accordance with Section 30.03. Charter Township of Orion Zoning Ordinance 78 Page 33-6
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